


The Hidden Flower

by breataeking



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Bullying, F/M, Female Kuroko Tetsuya, Fluff and Angst, Physical Abuse, Romance, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-08-17 00:47:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8124139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breataeking/pseuds/breataeking
Summary: Hardworking Kuroko Tetsuya, a girl in disguise with dark past attended the exclusive Teiko High School by a scholarship because a particular reason. She found her shallow, privileged classmates unbearable, especially the notorious infamous Generation of Miracles who were the kings of the school and no one, not even the teachers, dare challenge them, except Kuroko who kept defying them as hard as she could.Eventually, The GoM were starting to lay their eyes on the phantom and were afraid to say their feelings out loud or else having their reputations destroyed of being witnessed as a bunch of homo. Yet, Kuroko still tried her very best to hide her secret from them.What will happen if one of them were to find out her deepest secret? Will they still bully her or like her more? Will Kuroko be able to survive from the mighty Akashi Seijuro's grasp?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer : I don't own the Kuroko no Basuke
> 
> I'm warning you for error grammars, limited vocabularies, and repetitive words.  
> Also, honestly, the more stressed i am, the more violent my writing gets c: so you better read notes first before reading this because im really putting bullying scenes and angsty stuffs inside. but if you're okay with this, then i hope you can enjoy my fic xD
> 
> Im inspired by a korean drama and i tried to mix its plot with kurobas haha. ope this wont be too dramatic. hope you enjoy!!!

 

The gentle spring breeze blew past a certain boy. He wore a high school uniform in which contains a white long sleeve blazer, light blue shirt, black tie, and black pants; rather more luxurious than other high schools’ uniforms could be, covering his petite girlish body. The boy’s silky light bluish cerulean hair softly stirred by the wind, making his bangs disorderly covered a little of his outlook from his big doe eyes which had the same beautiful shade of his teal hair; His skin was very pale compared to most people’s skins; he had a small cute not-too-pointed nose; and his round small lips were naturally very pink as if he put a lipstick on it whilst he actually did not. His whole face held a very plain expression, or more precisely was expressionless. It only made the boy looked like a living walking porcelain doll. To put on the simple way, this certain blunette was like an epitome of beauty despite dressing in all boy uniform, which was extremely rare or even _impossible_ for a boy having such a pretty face like his.

            Apparently, the fact had made sure that it was really impossible any boy could be this pretty, since the teal head was not biologically a male but a fifteen years old girl in disguise whose name was Kuroko Tetsuya.

            Today was her first day as a high schooler as she walked quietly through her way, entering her new school’s pretentious enormous gate which leading into the splendid immense main building of the school. Some pupils were already gathering around the gate yet surprisingly paid no attention to the blunette who just arrived between them. Well, it was a very usual thing for Kuroko since she was born with a low presence as people had to be focusing their gaze to see the girl. The teal head continued her walk through the gate to the building, blending with the background, quietly marching with the line of the new pupils.

            Teiko high school, the one Kuroko attended, was the most infamous dormitory school in Japan with top education, technologies, professors, where children of famous, high class wealthy family resided in. The school was pampered by students flaunting their wealth, those who held the amount of respect for each other based on family background and banded in cliques. Teiko was owned by the most powerful group in Japan, Akashi group whose empire were almost everywhere including this campus. It was really fortunate for a Kuroko Tetsuya who had not a high class but an ordinary family background managed to get a scholarship here.

            She was the smartest pupil in Seirin middle school, though she wasn’t really a genius, with her tenacious nature of studying and working very hard with all her best had brought him favorable results. She didn’t have to pay the super expensive fee to attend Teiko, fortunately. Other than that, another plus point of entering Teiko was also famous with its basketball team which was the strongest team in Japan for many years, never defeated in every national basketball competition. The bluenette was a hardcore fan of basketball, so she was very amused and assuming the strong team may be able to bring her dreadful skill into a huge progress.

            The second reason was because the school had dormitory which Kuroko would gladly stay instead renting for an apartment and living alone again there, and with the scholarship fees, she could keep her savings that her father left for the future. Well it wasn’t like the amount of her savings were even enough to rent a small apartment if she didn’t get any part-time job to earn more, when there was no one going to feed the teal haired girl anymore.

_Kuroko saw a small envelope with her name written on with her father’s familiar scrawl, tacked over the top of Kuroko and her father’s apartment’s kitchen table.           She then leant down and grabbed the envelope. It felt quite padded, as if it had a few pages inside. The girl opened it up and removed the paper whilst slowly walking towards a stool at the kitchen counter. Little did she know what was written in the paper was going to shock her in the most painful way she had never felt before._

Dear my _daughter_ , Tetsuya,

If you’re reading this now, then it means I’m already leaving the house.

Firstly, I deeply apologise for what had I terribly done for the past twelve years of your life to you. It was purely my mistake only for raising you like _this_ , and to dream for such impossible thing, expecting nonsense from a little innocent girl like you. I really regret every single decision I decided a long time ago. I don’t want to burden you anymore with all of my insanely prospects on you by living unhappily with me.

Secondly, I have met my love and we decide to be living together far from here, beginning a fresh start somewhere new. I’ve had enough working very hard in this town and my past here isn’t really something I could assume as something even good.

Thirdly, I inform you that I had saved some money for you on the bank. It will be enough until you finish high school, hopefully if you spend it carefully. Knowing you, I believe you won’t dare to do that so I have no such worries over it.

Tetsuya, please do understand that I really must to do this for the sake of both of us. I can’t hold myself anymore. Forcing you will just bring more pain to us. I want you to be happy, my girl, so please I beg of you… forget about me. Continue your free life without me. You have to know that Dad really loves you, but it’s hard to bring myself love you more than my wife. I’m really sorry, Tetsuya…

You are such a wonderful kid and it was such a waste that you were born to stuck with me. I know you can be much better without me holding you down. Thank you so much for being my _son_ for these past years. It was much better being with you than alone, even though it was still not enough. Goodbye, Tetsuya.

Dad.

 _Kuroko stood still, though her knees felt like they were almost threatening to give way beneath her petite body. Her hand was shaking hardly while clutching the paper tightly._ _The girl’s stomach twisted uneasily and tears started spring to her light blue eyes. She had been selfish by not noticing her father’s inconvenience seeing her unhappy face. She could have done better to hide her expression through her thick façade, yet she had failed him. What a disappointing_ son _she was to his father._

_She turned and swiftly ran immediately to his father’s bedroom despite her legs were like jelly beneath him, still firmly gripping the letter in her pale fist, she had to make sure it was not just a pathetic joke thrown on her by her father in his drunk state, wanting to make her suffer by tricking her, hopefully she thought. It had to be, it must to be. Throwing her father’s unexpectedly neat bedroom door open, and striding across the room, she opened the wardrobe, only to find all of his father’s clothes or other belongings disappear. It was all gone._

_Kuroko sighed, her breathing hitching up slightly from the sobs she was trying her best to dismiss, threatening her to come out from her mouth aloud. Still trembling and eyes all teary, she returned to the kitchen subsequently. Sitting herself down in one of the chair at the kitchen table. She placed his father’s now soppy letter on the table in front of her, petering out her fast heartbeat and the tense on whole of her shaking body to realise that she had scrunched the paper badly in her tight grip before. Some of the words were now smudged and dumped by the tears that had managed to escape, falling onto the paper while she was reading it earlier. Her chest all tight due to the sudden shock she caught, making her to scrunch her face a bit. And by the time she felt headache came to worsen her condition, she slowly brought her forehead down to meet the table. The coldness of the iron surface greeted her, slowly drifting her into a restless sleep alone for the first time._

            Kuroko still could recall the memories painfully as it refused to leave her thought in the mean-time whenever or wherever she was, though their last encounter had already passed a few years ago and she was now gotten used to take care everything by herself. She always drifted to remember her father, how he smiled to her every time she did a good job and satisfy him, his gentle and firm advices when she asked for something she did not know, she even missed his hard and rough scolds whenever she unconsciously acted girly. Having slaps or punches was much better than living alone without no one caring, someone to talk to, and someone to be cared for, Kuroko thought. She really missed her father, the only person she thought she was close with.

            She decided to continue living as a boy because she still wanted to fulfil her father’s wish although he didn’t live with her anymore. She believed everything her father told her to were always right and the best for her. It was not like she could live as a girl herself in the beginning, though. Being raised as a boy since she was born of course did not let her knowing how to be a girl. Her father had not told her about her real gender until he wrote it on the letter, much to her shock. It was like she was mentally a boy and physically a girl, in which She finally accepted that fact was when the first period of her came and when slowly two big bumps growing on her chest. Those were horrible experiences for the teal head.

            A few of Teiko’s teachers came to the front door of the building to greet the new students then leaded them to the hall inside. Just like what people said, top school with top technologies and stuff, almost all things inside the school were very luxurious and extraordinary. The marble floored hall of the school was very spacious as it might fit for twice large of Kuroko’s middle school yard. The walls were painted plain white classically, and on every corner of the room there were put some large cupboards filled with numerous of trophies from gold and silver. The students were told to line up in the middle for some announcements from the headmaster—an old fat man with huge mustache and bald head, face was all grumpy and full with arrogance. Kuroko noticed a few students laughing quietly on his arrival. Well, he looked quite ridiculous, though.

            The gathering felt just short with only contained some boring introductions from the headmasters and his teachers; explanations about the school systems—when the students wake up, sleep at night, class finished, breaks, cleaning pickets per class, library time, etc; some directions of important rooms the students would attend much daily—library, classes, teacher room, canteen; the school rules—sounded very ordinary just like other school may be, excluding the part on how exaggerated the school was giving privileges to the student council beside the club’s activity room, they seemed to be required for being respected almost in the same way for teachers. The members itself were already selected by the wealthiest students here, much to Kuroko’s expectations; and last were about the division of dormitory, the most awaited matter to be listened by the students. Apparently, each dorm was only available for two students. Well, Kuroko felt both relieved because there was only one other person she would share the room, much to her delight being much easier to hide her real identity, and also worried wondering what kind of person she’d be sharing with.

            The tenth graders’ dorms were located in another building behind the main huge one as they all had to walk across the main first through the hall, teacher rooms, canteen, and library in the main building, which all were decorated in the same colored walls and splendid accessories on every corner, captivating everyone who saw; then walking across a beautiful garden with a water fountain in its center where many pupils usually spent their time by reading books, eating meals, having dates, or just laying around in the middle of the building; next, going past the locker room before a surprising rookery thing suddenly happened between lines of pupils who were about chattering each other noisily. Firstly, almost no one noticing a girl had just fallen down after bumping with a certain sturdy boy accidently.

            “Ouch!” groans a tan boy with dark blue short messy hair loudly, rubbing his left shoulder, looking so pissed as his blue eyes glaring at a brunette girl on the ground. Disgust was written on his grumpy face. “What the hell was that?! Are you fucking blind, shithead?” he shouted rudely.

            “I-I-I’m sorry, A-Aomine-sama!!” stuttered the girl, extremely frightened, making her whole boy trembling visibly. She straightened herself from her prior fallen state to stand and stooped down in the perfect angle. “I-it was really an accident! I d-didn’t mean to crash y-you! I didn’t see you coming from the curve, please f-forgive me!” She frantically apologized as if just having mistaken and about to get a death punishment from a king in front of her.

            “Ha…? Then you’re really blind if you couldn’t notice me. I’m even bigger than you, what a bullshit,” the guy whose name known as ‘Aomine’ started walking closer to the trembling girl. The crowd around them were all became silent and staring alertly to the guilty girl, some faces were looked insanely excited as if waiting the tan guy to do something terrible to the poor girl, some others were worried and scared, and mostly were just staring stupidly without any expression evident painted on their blank faces that shown any urge to help. “Heh, now move out, you flatty bitch,” a tan large hand was about slapping the girl to move her aside suddenly stopped in midair when an unexpected presence popped up in the middle of the commotion.

            “It’s not necessary to slap a girl just because you bumped onto her in accident,” a soft monotone voice could be heard from the front of the rude tan-skinned boy, earning many loud gasp and a high-pitched shriek from the Aomine boy. The voice sure had surprised most of the people there.

            “WHATTHEFUCKAREYOUAFUCKINGGHOST??!!” shouted the boy, stepping back slightly as there wasn’t much space for him to step with his back instantly bumped onto a blonde boy’s chest. Some whispers from behind also heard like, “who the heck is he?”, “he’s really a ghost”, “I didn’t know he was there in the first place”, “no human looks like him!” and “the boy came from the air!” those were the usual lines Kuroko often heard before.

            “Please refrain from using such harsh words and no, I’m not,” Kuroko answered firmly. Her blank gaze from her light blue shade eyes still landed directly through the dark blue ones of Aomine’s defiantly. “She accidently bumped into you and she apologized. How ungentlemanly of you to do such thing. At least you can help her to stand up, seeing she’s hurt as well; I see you doesn’t seem to be a type to apologize.”

            Fuck this boy. He hit Aomine’s nerve. Didn’t he know who he was? The infamous Aomine Daiki from _The Generation of Miracles_. He was so dead right now, the tanned boy was so sure of it. “Well, it’s good that you ain’t a ghost ‘cause you can take my blows as much as I want without having ‘em pierced trough your dwarfish body.” He pulled a fist and moved it straight to Kuroko’s face, but before it could touch the teal head, a sly voice could be heard, stopping his movement and making chills to anyone who witnessed the ruckus.

            _“What is happening here,_ _Daiki?”_ A boy with flaming red hair stood behind Aomine, suprising everyone with his sudden appearance.

            Akashi Seijuro, the captain of _the Generation of Miracles_ , without verbal complaint ordered Aomine to put his fist away from the pale boy in front of him and explain his reason of turning the situation like this with his menacing glare. Midorima Shintaro, a green haired boy, one of the rainbow group members, who was gripping his lucky item tightly as he bickered with Murasakibara Atsushi, a giant purple haired boy his poor eating habits, followed his captain to stand still, silently observing the fight. Meanwhile, Kise Ryota the famous blonde model who was attracting many attentions from girls and usually couldn’t shut his mouth kept silent too. They all stared queerly at Kuroko because how lack the boy’s presence, they just noticed the teal head standing there seconds ago.

          The rainbow group which known as the Generation of Miracles were attracting quite a bit of attention, Kuroko being so antisocial surely didn’t know why. Yet it seemed like people around her already knew them and were so obsessed with their coming, she didn’t even sure if she really was into the fight would her surroundings help stopping the tanned boy as she obviously was too skinny to even hold a punch, let alone saving her. They… looked much eager to see her getting beaten up, she swore inwardly.

            And she was used to those kind of stares she was getting before.

            Seeing the amounts of people’s stares, Akashi hurried to command the crowds around them to continue their journey to the school’s dorms to lessen the amounts of weird stares that they were receiving. He didn’t want anyone think badly about his friends. He knew how violent Aomine could be.

            “A-Akashi! Oh, crap you came. I was about to kick his butt for being a cocky bastard. Lemme finish him first, you all can go ahead.”

            “What this boy has done to deserve your beatings?” Akashi raised his brow.

            “He stopped me giving a lesson to a nerf clumsily walking without eyes and crashed with me. Seriously, guys, this bastard pissed me off as hell he doesn’t even give a fuck like look at his fucking emotionless face!” Aomine bit furiously.

            “I’m simply defending a defenseless girl from a slap she was getting from him as she doesn’t deserve it from someone as violent as him. And my face has always been like this,” Kuroko answered flatly.

            “Is it true, Daiki?”

            “Well, can’t be helped, Akashi! A slap is important so that bitch won’t wander around with blind eyes anymore.”

            “Your words are so rude,” Kuroko complained, frowning her brows a bit. “How unmanly of you. From a pretty much known person like you, I am surprised you have no dignity saying those words in front of people.”

            “What the fuck, you got problems with it?! You bitch,” Aomine gritted his teeth, ready to continue to punch Kuroko again.

            “ _Daiki_. Didn’t I say not to do such reprehensible things to women?” Akashi said, devilishly. His cold eyes stared deadly to Aomine’s blue ones.

            “But, Akashi! He really looks down on us, he needs fucking lessons! Just let me—“

            “Don’t get carried away too far, Daiki. I haven’t finished speaking yet,” The red head said, venomously. “It’s not the right time to do something now, right?”

            “Wait… so you—“

            “I only said to not be violent to women _only_ , didn’t I?” A frightening devil smirk painted perfectly on the red head’s handsome face. “Kuroko Tetsuya, class I-G, my own roommate… shall get his punishment from confronting the mighty Generation of Miracles later. Just you wait, Tetsuya.”

            Kuroko shivered hearing the treat. The red haired boy was serious. _This_ was happening again.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im reaaaaally sorry for the long wait, here i made a kinda long chapter to make it up. please enjoy

 

 

She could hear those not-whispers from behind, front, next, even anywhere around her. It wasn’t really that those people really tried to subtle their comments, they _never_ bothered to keep down their voice whenever they complained about her.

She never minded them as well before. but that didn’t mean she didn’t care at all.

She knew she couldn’t stop those mocks even if she tried hard so she just tuned it down herself, pretending she didn’t hear them, forcing her face to remain calm, emotionless, undetected while a horrible and unwanted shiver washed over her lithe body. She always wished hard that no one noticed it, she never wanted to be seen even weaker.

She had tried everything her father wanted her to be so she was very much satisfied when her father deemed her alright after a few moments of questioning what did she do today, did she do what her father told her to, did she not do what her father told not to almost every day and listened to her almost robotic answers to please him and let her go to her room finally.

She thought it was enough. She trusted her father as a maturely adult that he got nothing to complain about then she was okay. She should’ve been okay while the other kids at school didn’t even a bit as please as her father at her. But the problem was she was not okay. She should have, but she was not.

She stood in front of the mirror every time before school to check if anything was wrong with her appearance. She was boyish, which her father had stated and she believed, with her short unbelievably soft baby blue hair—so short just like boy’s—just like he was supposed to be. She had big eyes, bigger than normal ones, but it’s fine since there were a few boys at class with big eyes like hers, too. She got lithe body and not as tall as the other boys. Was this a problem? She had asked countless time to herself but there was a boy at class with even tinier body than hers that happened to be the couch at her school’s favourite student.

There was nothing wrong with her appearance so why the others care to brag the whole day for this?

_“Ew, you’re so pretty that it disgusts me.”_

_“Boys shouldn’t be like that.”_

_“Don’t play with us.”_

_“He’s so weird, he didn’t even glance at us. He’s a weirdo.”_

_“Look at his emotionless face. Did he pretend to be a robot? So lame.”_

_“Man I thought there was no one named Kuroko here but when I saw him he totally looked like a ghost, all pale and unnoticeable, so weird.”_

_“I know right. He even sucks at communicating with us, all quiet and stuff like he didn’t want to be here. Don’t get near him.”_

_“He reads all the time, wonder what would he be like if I stole that book away. He might just cry like a freak he is.”_

_“Yeah, let’s do that.”_

_“Such a weirdo, he’s not even sad.”_

_“Weirdo.”_

_“Freak.”_

_“Pretty face bitch.”_

She never asked to be pretty, she also never cared about her face whether it was pretty or ugly, she just saw herself as decent. The only thing she cared about was she looked enough boyish or not. She never understood how the others could call her that when her father hadn’t even mentioned that once.

It was one time her father had told her to keep her emotions at bay, he hated to see her cry when he scolded her, he hated every time he saw her getting sad when he had to work, he hated so much when he saw her looking at girl dress whenever they went shopping, he hated so much when she was happy when he got home from work.

She has learnt to not feel over exited, over sad, over happy, and learnt to feel nothing at all. She was used to it. She still felt sad or happy, sometimes greatly, but she knows best how to cover it.

Her father also hated to see her looked so weak, not like his son he could proud at, he said. And being sad, happy, giddy, moody, or anything like clinging into useless emotions was unnecessary.

She couldn’t help it when she was really good at it, even her father ever nodded once at her that could be said he was complementing her, she can stop hiding her emotions from the others. She felt weak to show it, at first, and very obviously. Secondly, it was perhaps because she had forgotten how to express them in public.

Smiling seemed rather hard, and maybe weird on her since she almost had never smiled, so she stopped trying to smile whenever a new kid she met didn’t mock her (Of course they didn’t since they still didn’t know her. She knew best not to expect anything high) or whenever something good happened at her such as getting good scores at a test, happened to read a very good novel unexpectedly, and stuff until she didn’t smile at all.

She was really proud at her ability, but that didn’t mean she didn’t envy the other kids for expressing their emotions so freely sometimes.

She watched from the corner of the class, peering through the top of her book secretly to her classmates who laughed loudly, joking around each other, smiling, even crying together when a girl got rejected by her loved one.

No one did those things with her, not that she complained.

She loved the solitude of being alone, all quiet and peaceful. But sometimes it was not enough, to be by herself almost all the time, that is. She didn’t know why she felt that, it was uncomfortable and she disliked it, but she couldn’t help it. It was true she had no company at all to do what usually people did.

Reading book was fun, she knew it. It was like she was exploring different dimensions and letting her leave the current situations she was in, she could feel free with the words inside expressing the emotions she couldn’t let out. It was so much refreshing when she felt like a living zombie with all those homeworks she must do over night, or when she couldn’t take to study anymore. Books were really cool and so she found it so weird why seldom kids didn’t find books to be that _fun_ and despised them.

  _“Nerd.”_

_“Bookworm.”_

_“Books are boring, nerd, just like you.”_

_“Yeah, you loner.”_

_“Lo~ner.”_

Everyone at class started to call her that. Loner. She didn’t know if she should be sad over it since it was _true_. She had never had a friend before. She was a loner.

She started to believe that every word her classmates told her was true. Pretty face? Her face was paler, softer, smaller, and the boys said they wanted to punch her because of it. Punching meant bad thing, right? And it wasn’t like her pretty face was like any other girls’ pretty faces so the boys must be true. Weirdo? They said she was weird for having no expression every time they pushed her or mocked her or threw her books away. That couldn’t help, because yes she _was_. Nerd? Bookworm? She literally spent seventy five percent of her life reading beside sleeping and eating so they were right again. And last, loner? She couldn’t know better.

She never admitted herself to be stressed because of those bullies. She accepted them all, so she couldn’t be stressed over it, right? Except that she was in the state of denial which she never dared to. But it was _real_ hard to not _think_ about it. She had sometimes caught herself drifting to figure out the reasons her schoolmates shouldn’t call her those things, and _never_ once she found one then continue to read the books she was reading and left for a few minutes after cursing herself for thinking unnecessary thing.

She had _thought_ about being _friendly_ but she never could bring herself to be like the others. She just didn’t know _how_.

Alright even though she admitted she wasn’t stressed, she knew she cared a lot. Like a very much lot.

It hurt whenever those words were thrown at her. It really was, but what could she do with it? Nothing except being used to it anyway. Like her father ever taught her to feel hurt at home.

She kept quiet and let them aside once again for the nth time.

She was okay.

 

 

 

 

 

There was a new boy, brown hair, tall, overflew cheerfulness, never-ending enthusiasm and bright optimism painted all over his face. His wide grin almost looked permanent and suited him so good. The teacher brought him in front the class to introduce himself which he gladly did.

He was soon known as Ogiwara Shigehiro who loved basketball as much as he loved the first day of snow falling, a night with many stars that could be seen and falling stars to be wished for, and summer holidays when he could spend the days outside with friends.

The boy told the class passionately as if he was talking about the girl he really liked with the other boys. It should be boring to talk about basketball only but this just made the whole class getting exited. The girls chirped loudly and batted their eyelashes towards the boy, making themselves looked cuter than usual, while the boy shot and gave him wide grins.

Kuroko was confused, the boy was just here, in the class, for fifteen minutes straight and yet the whole class liked him. He just talked about basketball, and where was the fun in it? Sure, it must be fun with people who got blessed with their athletic bodies and she never found herself to be one of those people.

The boy was very excited that his eyes shone so bright and blinding that it was so _cute_ of him, as the other girls in class might say. Kuroko understood those genuine expressions of his but she couldn’t figure out why and how. She didn’t understand why the whole class suddenly like him, and why did she perhaps the only one who didn’t like Ogiwara as much as the other kids did.

But oh right did she remember. She was different, wasn’t she? She was weirdo, freak, nerd, bookworm, _loner_. Why should she bother to think of why she saw Ogiwara not as cool as the other kids saw him, the other kids had never understood her just like she never understood them anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

It was lunch time when Ogiwara came and sat beside her at her usual place—an abandoned bench located at the most hidden place at the school which was in the end of the corridor behind the library. The news said this corner was haunted but who was to kidding when Kuroko had always had the pleasure to spend her peaceful lunch time here, thanks to the news. Although the news came just after a few days she found this place to be her favourite.

The brunette gave her his usual wide and cheerful grin and asked her politely if he could eat beside her. She flinched at first, and slowly looked up from her book to shyly peer at the boy’s rich brown irises. Ogiwara grinned wider and Kuroko felt her heartbeats became faster and her cheeks warmed up, so long since she had felt this. She couldn’t say no because she was afraid the boy might just punch her like the other boys did so she nodded once and retreated her body to one of the ends of the bench to give the boy so much space than it needed. She quickly brought her book in front of her face again since she never brought lunch and never bothered to buy one at the canteen. She was very grateful of her small appetite.

Ogiwara then sat beside her and starting to open his bento. He munched and munched for five minutes straight to suddenly turned his head to look fiercely at the person next to him. Of course Kuroko noticed, had been bored with a such obvious stare from the boy who completely turned his head closely to hers.

She didn’t know what to say or what to do. Stares like that had never ended good at her, it was either a train of abusive words and mocks or a violent move towards her or the boy would just leave her alone because oh how boring she was.

She prepared herself for the worse, clenching her palms which both grabbing the books she was reading and bracing herself for a punch or an insult.

They never came.

The boy opened his mouth and started to speak. To her.

“Hey, what are you reading? You looked so serious it must be good.”

Wow. Never ever Kuroko found any of his classmates to be interested with what she was reading. Did the boy talk to the other person beside them two? She must’ve too deep with the book to not realise it? Well, nope no one other than them was here. Or could the boy see ghosts? This place was haunted even though Kuroko hadn’t seen a single one. But… could a ghost read a book?

The boy really talked to her.

“It’s a fantasy novel,” she said shortly.

“Oh! You like fantasy? I do, too,” the boy exclaimed loudly, grinning brightly. “I don’t read books too much but I prefer that genre than the others,” he chuckled which made Kuroko unconsciously felt warm all over her chest.

She didn’t know what to response this one so she kept quiet. The boy should be bored with her soon then would leave her alone in no time.

The boy did not.

“By the way, I’m Ogiwara Shigehiro from class 2-C, what’s your name?” Ah, the boy hadn’t noticed her, been having in the same class for a week and always being swarmed over by the other kids didn’t make her surprised even a little.

“Kuroko Tetsuya. We’re in the same class,” she said with her usual emotionless voice, hoping it didn’t sound so rude or making the boy think he made her pissed off.

“Oh gosh, we’re in the same class?! I’m really sorry for not knowing you, Kuroko-kun!” he groaned and his grin was gone but changed into a very apologetic expression that looked almost like a puppy. He was _cute_ and Kuroko slapped herself inwardly.

“It’s fine, I’m used to it,” she mumbled. She was shocked. No one had apologized for not knowing her before. she knew she had a low presence but she only knew that it would just scare people off and made them got angry at her for making them surprised and stuff.

“How are you used to that?” the boy asked curiously, face not apologetic anymore.

“I kinda have low presence…” she mumbled again, looking down.

And to her surprise again, the boy was awed and asked her usual questions to know each other like what’s her hobbies, her favourite subject, her favourite books, etc. They talked and talked, the boy offered his bento once which refused by Kuroko, he let out a groan again but they continued to talk nonetheless, and slowly Kuroko realized how comfortable she became beside the boy who radiated such bright atmosphere around him, no wonder no kids at class didn’t like him.

The boy was so kind and Kuroko let herself wondered, just a little tiny bit, that this was how to have a friend was, so she smiled. Just a little tiny bit.

The boy noticed and elbowed her softly, giving her the widest grin she’d ever seen on him.

 

(“You have a very pretty smile, Kuroko!)

(“Let’s have lunch together again tomorrow!”)

 

 

 

 

 

Ogiwara always answered that he was bored and preferred a quiet atmosphere at lunch since he had always been with the other kids around him whenever Kuroko asked why he always joined her in a such place the other kids didn’t like. And he also genuinely told the bluenette that he liked to be with her. (She flushed pink and nodded her head to hid it.)

They became close to be considered friends. Kuroko always told him whatever things she happened to find interest in it and vice versa. She could laugh more carefreely than before and she _loved_ laughing. It was a nice feeling to be able to let that out. She looked up to school every day to meet Ogiwara now and so did the boy, he said.

Kuroko never minded or complained whenever Ogiwara talked about basketball. (They always got basketball as the topic of their talk at least on per day.) Instead the bluenette started to find the sport to be more interested than the others. She told him she had such a weak and frail body that it was really hard for her to keep up with the other kids at sport when Ogiwara told her to join the basketball club. The brunette groaned and pouted.

(“Come and see me at our match tomorrow, alright, Kuroko? I need your support and cheer since you’ve always hidden under those books of yours! I’ll be sure to win if you’re there!”)

 

Kuroko did come to the match tomorrow. Her father hadn’t been home for a while so she could sneaked out without trouble this time.

There were many girls from her class to cheer at Ogiwara on his match. There were some of the boys from the class too but the students from Kuroko’s school weren’t as many as the other team’s. The supporters were being so loud that it scared her that it could make Ogiwara’s team chicken out. She tried to find Ogiwara’s face to make sure he was fine but when she witnessed him, bouncing the ball to the ground, a grin was plastered on his face, he looked so confident and successfully passed through one of the rival’s player and made a shot.

Kuroko believed Ogiwara when he told her one day at lunch that he was the ace of thri school’s basketball team, yet she _more_ believed it now. The brunette looked so cool, so awesome, while the other team’s players were so bigger than him and his teammates, Ogiwara was able to steal the spotlight and kept making scores.

He was so good, but that wasn’t all. He was a hardworking. He played harder than anyone inside the team nor the other team players. He said playing basketball was very fun and he sure told Kuroko truth when she saw that the boy was having fun more than anyone in the court.

Kuroko liked basketball more than the other sports, as she had been friends for weeks with Ogiwara and having basketball talk every day, yet she still realized how fun basketball could be by all those talks and now they were just sound not so unreal while she was witnessing the real match Ogiwara always talked about.

Just by seeing Ogiwara’s face, she could tell how much he loved the sport. How sweet of that to have something you really love about and can actually do it? Kuroko wanted that, she wanted to be in the same court with the boy, feeling the happiness together with him, challenge him in a match, laughing together when they score points.

She wanted to play with Ogiwara. She really wanted to.

Kuroko’s school won the match in the end. She smiled the biggest smile she could ever muster to show how proud she was of her friend, which smiled back at her and hugged her. She didn’t mind how sweaty he was because she was too happy to care.

(“I won, Kuroko! It was all thanks to you! Come by again for the next match, yeah?”)

 

 

 

 

 

Kuroko didn’t hate being sweaty as much as she was before. She had learnt to like it quite fast, actually, as long as she wasn’t fainted after it.

Ogiwara always encouraged her to practice with him every day after school since the day she told him she liked basketball and wanted to play with him now. She refused to join the basketball team but agreed to be taken to the nearby court after Ogiwara’s daily practice afterschool because it was easier to go home late now when her father hadn’t been home for months now.

If it wasn’t because of Ogiwara who refused to give up on teaching her (because he was so goddamn good compared to her) and always never seemed to tired even how much practice he had every day, it made Kuroko as enthusiastic as him. The boy looked like he would _never_ lose interest in basketball.

She was dreadful, awful, horrible, and weak. But she didn’t give up and so did her friend. Ogiwara was always genuine and Kuroko with another talent she grown to have such as observing people could know that. They were both having fun together, and that was more than enough than she ever wished for.

(“I like playing with you, Kuroko! I could get used to this for as long as possible!”)

 

 

 

 

 

Kuroko knew happy things will always have an end to it. She loved whenever her novels ended with good endings but she never brought herself to like them more than the ones with sad ending ones. That just happened when she realized her list of her favourite novels were actually the ones with sad ending.

It was their usual lunch together, they talked like usual, they joked like usual, they laughed like usual when they suddenly heard a girl squeaked loudly to witness their closeness. She recovered from the shock to change her expression into a disgusted one then turned around to leave them both.

There was silence for a while.

It felt like a slap just landed on Kuroko’s face as she was reminded of how she was the weirdo, freak, nerd, and bookworm at this school. She was reminded what a loner she was, yeah, a _loner_ … until Ogiwara came and became her best friend now.

And because of her status, she had dragged her best friend down with her. What a terrible friend she was.

Ogiwara didn’t mind, though. He continued to finish his bento even offered to share with Kuroko again since she had never brought one. He saw the uneasiness on Kuroko’s face yet he gave her the most comforting smile she’d ever seen and grinned sheepishly.

It was okay. They were okay.

(“Look at how skinny you are, Kuroko! C’mere and eat this so you’ll have more energy to play basketball with me.”)

 

 

 

 

 

It was a really huge fat big and ugly mistake for her to think everything was okay. It wasn’t okay, they weren’t okay, _he_ wasn’t okay.

The other kids didn’t surround Ogiwara anymore, instead they visibly avoided and mocked him now.

All because of a girl seeing them both having lunch together; seeing one of the most popular boys at school with a weirdo, freak, nerd, bookworm, and a loner.

Ogiwara never minded it, he said it was good because he’d have more time to spend with Kuroko and had less trouble because the other kids keeping him to play with them. He assured her it was okay, they were just fine. While it was really not.

Kuroko knew it was because of her. It was her fault. She was to blame.

Ogiwara should’ve just left her alone since the first day he came to eat lunch together, but he was stubborn, he really was.

Kuroko believed him that he was okay with all the harsh treatments their friends gave him. But it still hurt, for her. The last thing she wanted was her friend never got those things she had been given from the start. She knew how was that felt, she knew them best and she never wanted her cheerful friend to be broken.

Well after a while, she now knew nothing could make her stubborn friend crumble and broken if it wasn’t because basketball itself silly him.

They still laughed together after that.

(“Oh my God, Kuroko, did you watch last night game?! I’m fucking sad to see they lost ugh what do I do now?! Cheer me up, man!”)

 

 

 

 

 

It was almost lunch time when she heard the word.

Some of her classmates were chatting each other like usual but they were closer than they’d ever been. The same girl who witnessed Kuroko and Ogiwara together was there, too, talking animatedly with scrunched brows while the others listened with unbelievable expression plastered on their faces.

She wasn’t curious but it was on time when she overheard it accidently.

“Ogiwara-kun was _gay_. I know it.”

“Whenever we talk he always talked about his so-called-best-friend and didn’t know it was actually that freak. Ew he’s so fucked up to be seduced by that fag.”

“I know he has pretty face but I didn’t know he could be that cruel. He’s disgusting.”

“Well, Ogiwara likes him back, doesn’t he? He’s just the same as that fucker.”

It was like she had just been slapped many times now. Her cheeks felt painful, even whole of her body was throbbing painfully. A lone tear fell to her cheek and she ran to the bathroom to escape, not letting anyone seeing her cry.

It was the first time she’d ever cried in public. She locked herself in one of the chambers, hugging her knees onto her chest and buried her face on top of them. She tried to suppress her sob but failed. It was fortunate that no one but herself inside the bathroom.

This was beyond her expectations. She had expected Ogiwara to be mocked and insulted much but _this_? He had never ever deserved to be threatened like this. Ogiwara was too kind to be called that.

She could accept those insults which were thrown at her, but she could never accept the insults for Ogiwara.

She didn’t deserve to be his friend.

If he was too kind to leave her alone that day, then it was her fault to not refuse him trying to befriend with her and being close like they were now.

It never felt wrong whenever they were together, talked about basketball, joked around, laughed together, played basketball together. They were the happiest moments Kuroko had ever felt, they were really. And Kuroko knew Ogiwara were happy, too.

But if they continued their friendship, would that bring more benefits for both of them? Sure, Kuroko felt far way happier now with Ogiwara on her side, but would Ogiwara himself be happy? Constantly be called _gay_ every time he passed the corridor between the other kids? The kids were telling truth about Kuroko being a weirdo, freak, nerd, bookworms and loner, but they weren’t right to call Ogiwara _that_.

Or were they not really?

Kuroko was biologically a girl, indeed, but she was _mentally_ a boy, wasn’t she? So she _was_ still a boy. It was not right to be this close, right?

She should end their friendship as soon as possible if she wanted Ogiwara to be happy. She’d be happy if he was, and she’d be sad if he was too. She had decided. Everything wasn’t okay, it wasn’t okay, he wasn’t okay, and she wasn’t okay.

But now she knew how to solve it. She was always okay, that’s the solution.

She didn’t come to the spot they always had lunch at.

(“Where have you been, Kuroko? Are you crying…?”)

 

 

 

 

Kuroko braced herself while stepping out slowly from her house to the court she always played basketball with Ogiwara. She had been sighing many times today that she wasn’t as invisible as she usually was.

Ogiwara would be there, would notice how solemn her expression was right now, how big and red eyes were, and how hoarse her voice was. But she didn’t care, it was now or never.

She spotted the boy as soon as she arrived. the brunette was playing the ball he brought by himself, distracted to see her coming. It was when she had sat on one of the benches did he see her and waved his hand cheerfully then sat down beside her, still breathing harshly and sweaty. Kuroko likes her best friend like this the best.

“Ogiwara-kun,” she began, looking down at her feet, suddenly found the stone next to her left shoe so interested. She stared at the thing with her suddenly-so-warm watery eyes. “I—“

“Kuroko,” Ogiwara cut her off, he wasn’t looking at the blue haired beside him instead looking up and sighed so loud. “It’s been quite long since we first met, huh?”

Kuroko didn’t answer, she knew if she opened her mouth she’d start to cry.

“You said you have low presence, didn’t you? You still do, you know, even though you’re my best friend it’s still kinda hard to spot you between the crowds.” He chuckled. “You were alone and drown with your own imagination and flinched when I came approaching you. You never smiled and laughed, until now,” he smiled so wide, now looking at Kuroko. She didn’t look back but she knew he was smiling, it could be heard in his voice.

“Ogiwara-kun—“

“Kuroko, I know what you’ve been wanting to say,” he cut her off again. His smile was gone and his gaze pierced trough her blue teary eyes. “Don’t you think I—your best friend—wouldn’t know that his best friend has been acting weird?”

Kuroko’s eyes widened. She knew she had observed people enough to know that some of people were blunt and the others were on the contrary. But she had never found her best friend to be this observant.

“I heard what the others said about me. Some girls even asked me if I really am, well I’m not truthfully, I told them.”

Kuroko felt relieve floating inside her body, she sighed quietly. But that still wouldn’t stop the gossip to spread to be even weirder and more false. Even when he still hung out with her, of all people.

“Ogiwara-kun, we have to stop—“

“Don’t you dare to continue it, Kuroko,” the brunette snapped very suddenly, making Kuroko flinched violently, looking at him with wide-eyes. She had never seen Ogiwara so angry before, that expression didn’t suit his usual cheerful personality.

“You might be thinking _you_ don’t deserve to be my friend and it was because _you_ I get bullied, and blaming yourself. Surprised, aren’t you?” Ogiwara let out a sad laugh, he didn’t look angry anymore instead sad, very much so. “Kuroko… when are you going to stop to be so selfless, huh?”

Kuroko had no idea where Ogiwara was bringing this conversation into. She was shocked to find her best friend to be this precise and knew her so well, but she never knew how come she was selfless? Even her father called her selfish because she once saw a dress and a bit wanted to have it, once, _only once_ , and some other reasons.

“You always listen to every single thing what I say, even when I was sad, you were there to cheer me, when I’m happy you were there to smile with me,” Ogiwara continues, his eyes had become a bit teary whether because the wind or he was really crying for who-knows-reason. “But you never told me your problem.”

It wasn’t like she didn’t have problem or trouble, she just never wanted to feel one. She never considered her life to be a troubled one, she wasn’t as happy as she was with Ogiwara but she had learnt to accept it. It has been like that since the beginning so she really didn’t have anything to complain.

“Cut that surprised expression of yours, Kuroko. After all these weeks I thought you might want to tell me but you never have. And if I do like you romantically I would have never been a _gay_ anyway.”

Ogiwara dropped the bomb.

He _knew_ it.

He _fucking knew_ it.

“Oh, come on, man. How come you’re so blunt, after all I’ve been friends with a stonehead, can you believe it?” he laughed so carefree despite having to see Kuroko’s openmouthed expression.

“Y-you knew?! Ogiwara-kun!” Kuroko shook the boy hardly which only resulted by the boy laughing harder until it was too much and the boy told the girl to stop.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry your face was just priceless, I’m sorry! Don’t punch me!” he covered his face with both hands but laughed a bit after. “I’ve never seen you so red before, I swear—Oh my God, Kuroko, stop!!”

Kuroko landed a satisfying slap on the boy’s forearm, earning a painful groan from the boy who quickly rubbed the place vigorously. “Geez, Kuroko, didn’t know you’d be such a brute—Okay, okay, I’ll stop! See, I stopped!” he yelped girly.

Kuroko was panting hard and stared at the boy’s brown eyes. Tears were filling hers but she couldn’t bring herself to blink it away. She sighed defeatedly, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I want you to tell me yourself. I know you really trust me, but you really didn’t as much as I expected,” Ogiwara grinned. “It’s okay, though, if you were a boy you’re still the cutest person I’ve ever met, like those people at school are stupid to not noticing you, what the—hey! Ouch!”

“They were supposed to _not_ know, you’re the stupid one!” Kuroko deadpanned and slapped his head, a bit softer than before but still painful nonetheless.

“So… you’re just coming to tell me this?” Kuroko asked after a few minutes full of silence.

Ogiwara shook his head, he then smiled widely, the smile he was using whenever his basketball team had won a match, it was blinding and too bright for Kuroko. “I came here to tell you how happy I am to be your best friend and to stop you from ending it.”

“You were always happy so why suddenly being embarrassing to say it aloud? Not like you’re not an embarrassing person,” Kuroko deadpanned again.

Ogiwara whined as reply, “You’re cruel and such a sarcastic dumbass.” He messed Kuroko’s blue soft hair with one hand frantically until the shorter yelped and told him to stop.

“Kuroko, I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“You clearly are an embarrassing and cruel person who just came her to say goodbye with the saddest way you can and is trying to end our friendship instead of me,” Kuroko deadpanned again. She felt nothing, she had prepared for the worse. She knew she was supposed to cry and shout like the dramas she watched at home, but nope, she felt _nothing_ and _done_.

“I know I am, but you’re wrong. I didn’t come here to say goodbye and end our friendship,” Ogiwara sighed and grabbed Kuroko’s hand to pressed it together with his. “I told you I was here to tell you how happy I am o be your best friend and stop you from ending it. We are _best friend forever_ even though you’re actually a female alien and had to go to pluto and I’m a monster who lives under the sea.”

Kuroko snorted, but she didn’t feel better. Ogiwara was leaving, there wouldn’t be him anymore at school, only her alone. But look at the positive side, he wouldn’t take those insults anymore and find a new best friend who would be far cooler and more awesome than her, and a very good basketball player, just like Ogiwara. This was an ending.

“Kuroko, I am serious. I’ll still text you countless time, no matter how far we’ll be,” Ogiwara smiled. “You’re the _best_ best friend I’ve ever had, man. It’s the truth, trust me. Best friends trust each other, right? Don’t make me cheesier again.” Ogiwara pulled one of his fists and brought it forwards in front of Kuroko’s face. He gave her the widest grin, even wider than the one Kuroko thought to be the most of his.

“Best buddies for life?”

He technically said this was not an ending for them, and for once Kuroko really craved to have another happy ending on his favourite novel list. For once she wished for anything good for herself, even the slightest. Could she?

And Kuroko chose to believe Ogiwara and fist bumped him back.

“Let’s meet up again in high school, my team will fight yours,” said Ogiwara cheekily. “You’re the most hard-working person I’ve ever met, Kuroko, I’m sure you’ll be a far better basketball player than I am, male or female. I’m totally sure of it, buddy.”

“Ogiwara-kun? Can I tell you a secret?” Kuroko mumbled coyly. She looked down and there was it, the moment she had never expected. She didn’t know she really wanted to tell anyone or not but the line just flashed into her mind. And it had been ever since so long. “I’m… a girl. A real one but I don’t know what to do about it.” She was (mentally) a girl, indeed, a part of her mind told her this.

“Then just act like one,” Ogiwara said, simply. “If you weren’t happy like this, then don’t continue your life like this.”

It wasn’t that simple. She didn’t know who to be a girl. She didn’t know if she would like a boy just like girls did. She was weird, freak, nerd, bookworm, and—No, she wasn’t a loner, she had Ogiwara, remember? But still, she didn’t have the qualities to be a girl.

“Oh, don’t be suddenly quiet like that, Kuroko, don’t hurt your head, buddy!” said Ogiwara. “I’m not saying you should, I just wish for your best, you know? Just like how good of a best friend I am.

“Anyway, since this will be our last basketball match until who-knows-when, I’ll challenge you two-on-two and give my very best to fight you, Kuroko! Come on let’s play before dawn!”

Ogiwara slapped Kuroko’s back hardly, making her stumbled forwards losing her balance. “After this, I’ll always be wishing to find the happiest Kuroko on the court to fight me, alright?” he laughed and threw the ball to the blue head girl.

(“Be seeing you, Kuroko-chan! _Ouch!_ ”)

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didnt mean to make it this angsty but ok i feel bad to make kuroko suffers but ill make good end for you okok


End file.
